


The Fallacy of Human Arguments

by misura



Category: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: Book: Crucible of Gold, Community: smallfandomfest, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-06-12
Packaged: 2018-02-04 09:42:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1774561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Of course Granby may choose to spend his time with whomever he pleases," Temeraire agreed, far too easily for Laurence's peace of mind. "Only, if he is, perhaps, a little misguided or confused, I feel it only natural someone should help him make the right choice, rather than the wrong one."</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fallacy of Human Arguments

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: _Laurence/Granby, jealousy (past Granby/Little, Crucible of Gold)_

That Temeraire failed to see why an attachment between Granby and Little was wholly and essentially different from the attachment Laurence himself had formed with Jane was only to be expected, of course; for all that, Laurence still found himself hard-pressed to explain the exact nature of the difference, aside from that which was obvious even to Temeraire; that Little was a man whereas Jane was not.

"Although surely it would have been less desirable if it turned out Granby had formed an attachment to Jane as well," Temeraire said, with the air of someone who has hit upon a very clever and hard to refute argument. "After all, I know you to be quite fond of her."

In fact, Laurence had once proposed to wed her; an offer which she had turned down kindly but quite firmly, leaving no room whatsoever regarding her thoughts on the matter.

"Well," Laurence said, unsure whether or not to voice his feelings on this idea. "It is true I am fond of Jane. She is, you will admit, a very remarkable person." He valued her for her friendship, surely; her letters were never the less welcome for the occasional bad news they bore. It was hardly as if he spent his nights lying awake at the thought of her, though; if he missed her occasionally, it was more as a friend and comrade than as a lover.

"I am sure that you think so," Temeraire said, and then, apparently sensing this response might be interpreted as being somewhat on the cool side, "although of course I don't know her as well as I do Granby, who has been a part of my crew, after all. And I'm sure nobody could think of calling Granby any kind of ordinary."

"Not within Iskierka's hearing, at least," Laurence said with an attempt at a smile.

"Oh, but it is not as if _I_ should let them get away with it, either," Temeraire said. "Simply because Iskierka is so very often so very annoying, that is no reason to blame Granby. I am sure that, with another captain, she should have been even less agreeable than she is."

"Perhaps you are right," Laurence said, realizing they had, by now, drifted all and truly away from their original subject. "Granby is surely a very fine captain."

Temeraire nodded happily. "It is only that it puzzles me why he should seek out Little."

"Little is also a very fine captain," Laurence said. He had never once heard anyone voice an opinion to the contrary, and Immortalis was, of course, a quite valued dragon.

"Hardly as fine as you," Temeraire said immediately, his voice radiating the kind of disapproval Laurence would have expected from anyone being informed of the Aerial Corps quietly condoning the kind of behavior that would have seen one flogged in the Navy, if not worse; happily, Laurence had never been forced to judge such a case himself, but he had heard of it happening; two fine seamen ruined at once, for of course there could be no captain willing to take a man on once he had been condemned of such a thing; it was worse than stealing, or brawling while drunk, as impossible to forget as it was to forgive.

"Well, but I am not - " he began, knowing by now full well the futility of protesting Temeraire's high opinion of him. "Not suited to that sort of relationship."

"Oh," Temeraire said, his tone more puzzled than accepting. "But Laurence, don't you like Granby?"

"It is only as a friend, not as a lover," Laurence said firmly. It was true he had every now and then felt a certain longing for more, for the kind of companionship he and Jane were able to share; it had been so in the Navy as well, although happily never with Tom; something like that could not have but complicated their friendship, introducing a wholly unwelcome awkwardness to something easy and enjoyable. He had grown used to these things by now; he was no youth, to be ruled by his baser desires. In the Corps and the Navy both, a certain discipline needs be imposed.

"That is great nonsense," Temeraire said. "I should never wish to give an egg to someone I did not like, nor to spend any more time in their company than I absolutely had to. So, you see, if you enjoy Granby's company, and if he enjoys yours as well, it is only natural he should have asked you first, and not Little, who is not here, anyway."

"My dear, it is not quite so simple," Laurence said.

"Only because you insist on making it complicated," Temeraire said, sniffing. "And I can't say I think much of Immortalis, either; it is not as if he is able to spit fire or anything like that, at all - even if, of course, he is also not nearly so annoying."

It dawned on Laurence that what he was dealing with here fell little short of jealousy; a misplaced, wholly uncalled for jealousy, but jealousy nonetheless, expressed on his own behalf.

"Granby and Little's relationship has nothing whatsoever to do with their dragons," Laurence said, hurriedly adding as Temeraire's ruff flattened, "and anyway, as I already told you, I think of Granby only as a very good friend, much like you yourself think of Maximus."

Temeraire blinked once. "But - "

Laurence closed his eyes and wished for the French to attack them. "I am not the least jealous of Little, and I wish him and Granby all the happiness in the world." If the statement was lacking in sincerity, Laurence told himself it was only because he had been raised to see such relations as unwholesome and corruptive; better to spend one's life alone, wishing for something one ought not have.

"Well, so do I, of course," Temeraire said. "That is to say, I should surely never wish for anything bad to happen to Little. Only, I don't see at all why he should have Granby, while you do not, or why Granby should like him better than you."

"It is Granby's right to choose, surely," Laurence said, abandoning what other arguments he might have made to cling to the one he felt he stood the best chance of carrying successfully.

"Of course he may choose to spend his time with whomever he pleases," Temeraire agreed, far too easily for Laurence's peace of mind. "Only, if he is, perhaps, a little misguided or confused, I feel it only natural someone should help him make the right choice, rather than the wrong one."

"Granby is hardly confused or misguided, I think," Laurence tried.

"But then, why is he not with you instead of Little?" Temeraire shook his head slowly. "It will not do, Laurence. Not at all. I shall talk to Iskierka; I am sure that perhaps he only feels he should not because he made a mistake before, choosing Little over you, and now he feels ashamed of himself."

"Do not, I beg you," Laurence said.

Temeraire sighed. "Well, but then you must go to him and explain that you do not mind. After all, he could hardly know you would become a captain again and be allowed to wear nice things; it is perfectly understandable he would prefer someone wearing nice things over someone who didn't, but that is all over and done with now, and there is no reason whatsoever for him to keep acting so foolishly."

"I will speak with him," Laurence promised, thinking it much preferable to make such a promise than to try and persuade Temeraire of the futility of such an undertaking.

 

" - and there you have it," Laurence finished, not three hours later. "Along with my most heartfelt apologies for subjecting you to the entire thing, if you please."

Granby remained silent for a long while. Laurence could well imagine his feelings; Granby had only confessed to his inclinations under the direst of pressures, rightfully expecting Laurence to never bring up the matter again, and yet here they were.

"It seemed better to talk to you privately than to leave it to them," he added, more than a little awkwardly. "God only knows what they might take it into their heads to do."

"Yes," Granby said, a queer note to his voice. "After all, imagine what might happen if anyone were to find out." His face was wholly expressionless.

"Well," Laurence said, unsure of what to offer. Were his and Jane's relationship to be made public knowledge there would be an outcry, of course, but hardly so loud as there would be at the revelation of Little and Granby's, for all that they were both far less prominent figures.

Then again, it was hardly as if Granby had entered into the relationship entirely unaware; he had pursued it regardless, and so must bear the consequences, if not happily then at least without complaining of their unexpectedness.

"I will return to England at the earliest opportunity," Granby said, still speaking with that queer note. "Although I fear that may be less soon than you might wish."

"Why?" Laurence asked, genuinely surprised. He had offered Temeraire's comments frankly and without judgment, he felt, other than to point out the obvious truth, which was that one could not expect a dragon to be familiar with the heavy condemnation with which polite society regarded the practice of sodomy. He had not expected Granby to be pleased; still, he had hardly expected him to be resentful.

"Because you made it damn clear you don't want me around," Granby snapped, jumping up, his face flushed an angry red. "And not that it's any of your damn business, but Little and I are mere friends these days - although I dare say we are better friends than I could have wished for you and I to be."

The accusation stung the more so for its justness; a good friend would have surely felt nothing but sympathy at Granby's news; for all that the attachment had been unwise, it had clearly given Granby joy, and for Laurence to feel any kind of pleasure at hearing it had ended it made him feel a scrub of the lowest kind, wholly deserving of Granby's scorn.

"Look, John - " Laurence started, barely knowing how to go on.

"I should never have told you," Granby said, sagging down again, his anger deflating. "I have nobody to blame but myself."

"You honored me with your trust," Laurence said, perhaps a little too stiffly and formally, he felt; he wished to convey to Granby that he still viewed them as close friends and that the last thing he had wished to do was to give offense. "I am pleased by it, and would be the more so were you to stay by my side forever - the service permitting, of course."

Granby snorted, and Laurence felt himself blush.

"Between the two of them, I dare say our dragons might have a thing or two to say about _that_ \- a great deal more than His Majesty's government, I sometimes feel." Granby shook his head, his grin rueful. "A fine pair they make, indeed."

Laurence chose not to mention that he felt Temeraire's recalcitrance to be of a wholly different nature than Iskierka's. "They are genuinely fond of one another, I do believe, if they do not always express themselves to be so."

"Well, I am sure you are right," Granby said, reaching out his hand; Laurence grasped it firmly, pleased the matter between them had been resolved and very nearly painlessly. "And as long as you want me, I shall be pleased to be by your side, also."

Laurence nodded, telling himself that if any feelings beyond those of friendship had gone unmentioned on his part, it was only for the better; he had resigned himself to his lot a long time ago.

His sense of complacence lasted the entire half minute it took for him to overhear Temeraire and Iskierka discussing his and Granby's wedding, and whether or not it ought to take place straightaway or be postponed until their return to England.


End file.
